You know those black birds living in my purple martin house? The ones that I couldn't figure out what they were?
Um, well...they're purple martins.
How was I supposed to know? The picture in my field book shows a very purple bird, and I only get to see them flying or perched 30 feet up, backlit against the sky, and can't see any purple at all. Plus they live on the far side of the birdhouse, facing my neighbors, and never come down to feed in the yard so I can't study them very closely.
It was the female that finally tipped me off; the only picture I could find that looked like her was of a female purple martin. Didn't think she really was one, though, until I listened to an audio clip of its song. Which I recognized instantly. Felt like such a doof.
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